~Thanksgiving Special~

Dori sighed; she just knew that the boys wouldn't get it. After all Ace and Sabo grew up in a harsh environment plus one clueless little brother that would follow their example thoughtlessly… yea her plans for thanksgiving failed before they even started, but she wasn't going to give up without a fight!

She nodded determinedly before making her way to the 'jumbo' garden she had accidentally discovered. The reason she endearingly called the patch of land that had an assortment of wild grown vegetables 'jumbo' was simple, the vegies were three times her size... and feeding the soon to be brothers wasn't a simple task with normal sized food, so the giant vegetables really helped alleviate the load.

"Nee-chan! Where are you going!?" Luffy shouted as he quickly ran up behind her.

Said older sister looked up at her slightly taller younger brother, "Hmm, to the garden. I'm on a mission." She whispered conspiratorially.

Luffy's eyes widened like saucers, "Really!"

"Shh! I don't want Ace and Sabo to find out it's a surprise!" she admonished him.

Luffy comically slapped his hands over his mouth before looking accusingly around as if the older boys would pop out from the foliage at any moment.

Dori giggled amused at his naïve reaction, "Do you want to help me, Lu?"

"Uh-huh!" Luffy mumbled excitedly.

"Okay! Perfect! This is what I need you to do…." Dori whispered her brilliant fool-proof plan to Luffy and handed him a list. The list had been created in mind of her slightly dim brother and the items on it were all pictures so he would be able to pick the right produces.

Dori quietly stalked her prey. It was a large animal, then again it seemed like every animal living on Mt. Corvo was four times its normal size, walking clumsily on its skinny legs. She had already been lucky enough to catch two other massive turkeys, which were now hidden above her in the high branches of the tree above her, but she knew that by catching this last turkey she would be insuring that everyone at the feast she was preparing was going to be stuffed.

'Hmm, I have to stop by at the Party Bar and ask Makino to help me buy some pasta, ground pepper, parmesan cheese (if it even existed in this world) and bacon. Hmmm if I also want to make pan de jamon y maiz I need to buy flour, baking soda, corn, mozzarella cheese… I'm also going to need balsamic viniger and mustard seeds for the salad dressing … oh god… how much is it going to cost me?' Dori thought horrified as she snug her prize.

It had taken Dori about an hour to pluck all three of the turkeys and prepare them to be put in the oven. During that time Luffy had-surprisingly-brought all of the vegetables she had asked him to bring, so she had put to boil seven giant-car sized-potatoes, she had also put the pasta to boil as well while she dressed the turkeys. Dadan had been kind enough to lend her the entire kitchen after she had explained that she was preparing a special feast and that she wouldn't be needing her help to prepare it. Her only request had been to for Dadan to make sure that the entire house had been cleaned and that she hung up the decorations she had prepared in advance. Luffy was in charge of keeping the older boys from coming home before she finished prepping the food, besides, Dori had figured it was a good way of stopping Luffy from messing up her plans as well as make it a surprise for the seven year old too.

After she put the turkeys inside the massive oven; she drained the pasta and began to pour in the finely chopped fried onions and bacon that was mixed into the creamy parmesan sauce, putting the lid on top of the pot she shook the contents up/down and from side to side in order to make sure that all of the pasta was marinated in the sauce. Smiling at her well done job, she put the pot to the side so that there would be more room over the oven. A small timer on the counter 'dinged' chirpily, Dori pulled on her gloves and went to the second stove in the kitchen. She opened the oven and carefully pulled out a giant tray with three thick loaves of bread simmering on the foil, melted cheese oozed out of the breads teasingly, she placed it over a space on the counter before she pulled out the other tray of bread stuffed with cheese, ham, red and green peppers. Dori grabbed a couple of clean damp towels and covered up the loaves so that they wouldn't lose their heat before going back to the boiling potatoes and draining them from water. She brought out butter and a giant slab of cream cheese from inside the fridge and placed it on the counter. After mashing up the potatoes with the butter-salt-and cream cheese, she covered it up with the lid and checked on the turkeys.

She then began to chop up the lettuce finely before dumping them into the giant salad bowl, she cut the leftover mozzarella cheese into little squares and dropped them in the bowl before doing the same to some cherry tomatoes and croutons as well as pouring in generous amount of salad dressing.

An impressed whistle surprised Dori from behind her.

"Wow, chibi. This is a lot of food." Dadan praised as she looked at all of the delicious food prepared, or being prepared, in the kitchen.

Dori blushed bashfully, ignoring the slight against her height, "Unn, it's for a special feast after all!"

Dadan nodded good naturally before asking the question that had been plaguing her mind since the small nine year old commandeered her kitchen, "What kind of feast is this anyway, Dori?"

"Oh," Dori turned back to the oven to pull out one of the turkeys, "it's called Thanksgiving. It's a day that you spend surrounded by the people you love the most in the world and you give thanks for all of the good things in your life. For example, this year I'm thankful that I met the boys and that you and Jii-chan took me in!" she explained happily as she pulled out the other two golden turkeys.

Dadan blinked in surprise, "Alright, but what's with all the turkey and squash drawings?"

Dori giggled, she had drawn and colored in a bunch of 'hand-turkeys' and fall vegetables, "Well… in the first Thanksgiving that was ever celebrated, the people ate turkey, deer, fish and vegetables. I'll explain the entire story before dinner!"

"WOW! What smells so good!?"Luffy shouted excited.

"Hey, what happened to this place there are so many pictures of…. turkeys hanging on the walls!" Sabo asked confused.

"I don't know… but I bet Dori will explain it to us. Right, Dori?" Ace questioned her expectantly as she walked out from inside the kitchen.

Dori smiled at them before turning back to Dadan, "Can you make sure that no one touches the food? I made three pies that have to go in the oven but I really want to take a bath with the boys first so they don't dirty the floors."

Dadan nodded after taking a look at the filthy boys in the living area.

"Alright boys! We're taking a bath, and then we are going to have a feast!" Dori crowed as she pushed the protesting boys into them bathroom.

"That's it Dori! Tell us what's going on!?" Ace shouted aggravated by Dori's continuous response of secret.

Sabo nodded in agreement, "Yea Dori! No secrets are allowed!"

"Yea!" Luffy parroted.

Dori smiled at them mischievously before she called in all of the bandits to come into the living room where she had her brothers sitting down in front of her, after everyone had taken a seat, including Dadan, she explained the story of the first Thanksgiving.

"So…" Sabo began after she finished retelling the story, "We're eating s giant feast to celebrate gratefulness?" he asked confusedly.

"Yup!" Dori chirped, "Dylan and I always celebrated it with the kids in the foster home, since they always welcomed us like family… but you guys are my family now and it would only be right to celebrate it with you!"

Dori turned around and headed into the kitchen and picked up two of the trays with the steaming turkeys, "Alright, I'm going to bring all of the food out here, but you guys can't eat anything until I tell you to." She growled threateningly at the boys and the mountain bandits as a dark aura surrounded her.

Ace, Sabo and Luffy nodded rapidly in fear of their sister, while the mountain bandits froze horrified at the imposing figure the small girl made.

Dadan stood up and began to help her bring the enormous amount of food she'd prepared into the room; after everything was laid out Dori had everyone pick up a plate and line up in front of her. She piled up everyone's plates with the same amount of food, so that no arguments would break out. The entire meal was a jubilant affair with everyone asking for seconds and complimenting the chef. After the entire kitchen was cleaned up and the four siblings were laying upstairs in their bed, Luffy cuddled up into his older sister adoringly.

"Nee-chan?" he asked as Sabo and Ace began to shift towards them.

"Yea Lu?" she whispered tiredly as she ran her hands through his soft black hair.

"Nee-chan you said that Thanksgiving is a day where you say what you're thankful for, right?" Luffy continued after Dori nodded in affirmation, "What are you thankful for?"

Dori could feel Ace and Sabo's eyes burning into her as she stilled her ministrations on Luffy's hair momentarily before continuing once more, "Isn't it obvious Lu? I'm thankful for my new family." She admitted before kissing the crown of his head, "That means you guys too, Ace, Sabo. Thank you for being my brothers!" She told them happily before she untangled herself from Luffy to pull the shocked boys into a hug, she kissed both of the red boys on the cheek before she plopped backwards tiredly on the bed. "Night!"

All of them were silent for a moment before Luffy whispered again, "Nee-chan? Ace, Sabo?"

"Yea." They whispered back.

"I'm thankful too. I'm happy that we're not lonely anymore and that you guys are my family too!" he told them proudly.

Dori giggled lovingly as Ace and Sabo whispered harshly out of embarrassment, "Shut up Luffy!"

Luffy pouted, "Aren't you guys thankful that we're together too?"

"Yea Ace, Sabo? Aren't you thankful?" Dori teased.

Ace wrapped his arms around her as Sabo did the same to Luffy so that the youngest of the quartet were surrounded by the older boys, "Of course we are dummies." Ace mumbled into her back.

"We're glad you guys barged into our lives!" Sabo whispered in affirmation.

Dori began to drift off, content in the arms of her family. "Ace, Sabo, Luffy… I love you." She mumbled adoringly barely noticing when the arms surrounding her pulled her closer.

Author's Note: I hope you have enjoyed this short! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This chapter is dedicated to: Tsukino Aisuru - A; since she's reviewed twice already! Once more, thank you for reviewing [bows respectfully].

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Love, Mara-chan (o l l o)